Blood Bank Program

Each QU person is already a hero as proven by your efforts to improve wildlife habitat throughout San Diego County. You can become a Super Hero and improve the human habitat. Give Blood.

Our chapter has set up a program with the San Diego Blood Bank . Visit their web site at www.sandiegobloodbank.org. When chapter members donate blood the SDQU account is credited. Whenever any member of our chapter or the member family needs blood, our SDQU account will provide the blood free of charge. This is an insurance plan and in some ways is even better than insurance since even those members who are unable to donate are fully covered.

We encourage you to take some time - it takes about 30 minutes - and go to a San Diego Blood Bank location and make a donation. You will benefit, SDQU will benefit and the community benefits. When you donate, make sure you tell them that the donation is for SDQU (our plan designation) or San Diego Quail Unlimited.

FACTS ABOUT BLOOD DONATION (Information Provided by the San Diego Blood Bank)

HOSPITAL PATIENTS NEED YOUR BLOOD

In the United States, a blood transfusion takes place every three seconds. To adequately supply the hospitals served by the San Diego Blood Bank, approximately 400 donations are needed everyday.

ONE DONATION CAN SAVE UP TO THREE LIVES

Donated Blood is separated into components that can be used for several patients.

• Red blood cells control anemia.
• Platelets are needed by patients undergoing chemotherapy.
• Plasma is used for burn victims.

GIVING BLOOD IS SAFE, EASY, AND IT SAVES LIVES

Everything used in the donation process is sterile, disposable and used only once. You cannot contract any diseases by giving blood.

YOU CAN GIVE IN MANY WAYS, MANY TIMES

• A whole-blood donor can donate every 56 days, or six times a year.
• An apheresis ("Super") donor can donate up to 24 times a year. A Super Donation is an automated collection of blood cells or plasma (blood components). Donors who participate in this program are designated as Super Donors because they offer to donate when a patient is in need of blood components due to leukemia or other disorders, or due to an organ transplant or open heart surgery.
• An autologous donation (blood given before one's own planned surgery) may be possible regardless of weight, age, or medical history.

YOU HAVE A LOT TO GIVE

• The average size man has 12 pints of blood.
• The average size woman has 9 pints of blood.
• Each whole blood donation is one pint.
• Seven percent of your body weight is blood.
• When you donate blood, you body immediately begins to restore the blood that was given.

BLOOD TYPES IN THE U.S. POPULATION